Peptides for Cartilage Repair and Osteoarthritis: What Research Shows

Key Takeaways

• Compounds covered: BPC-157, GHK-Cu, thymosin beta-4 (TB-500), ipamorelin/CJC-1295 (GH secretagogues)
• Goal area: Cartilage repair support and osteoarthritis management
• Evidence range: Ranges from animal models and in vitro studies (BPC-157, GHK-Cu, TB-500) to epidemiological and mechanistic data (GH secretagogues via IGF-1); no completed Phase 3 human RCT exists for any compound in a direct cartilage indication
• Regulatory range: Includes GH secretagogues (ipamorelin, CJC-1295) compounded under Section 503A by prescription, with FDA currently reviewing their 503A bulks list status and availability varying by state and pharmacy; substances outside any FDA-permissible compounding category (BPC-157 and TB-500, both removed from Category 2 on April 22, 2026); GHK-Cu (widely sold as a cosmetic ingredient and lacking a clearly established 503A basis for injectable pharmaceutical compounding); no FDA-approved compound in this list for cartilage or OA indications.
• Key biomarkers for cartilage health: hs-CRP, ESR, IGF-1, vitamin D (25-hydroxy), alkaline phosphatase, comprehensive metabolic panel
• As of April 22, 2026: FDA removed BPC-157 and TB-500 from the Category 2 list of bulk drug substances under 503A/503B consideration; both are outside any FDA-permissible compounding category and not legally available through US prescribers. GHK-Cu is not FDA-approved for any indication.
• Bottom line: Preclinical mechanisms are plausible but human RCT data for cartilage applications are absent across all profiled compounds.

Understanding Cartilage Degeneration: The Biology

Articular cartilage, the hyaline tissue covering the ends of bones within synovial joints, is among the most mechanically demanding tissues in the body and among the least capable of self-repair. Its structural integrity depends on a dense extracellular matrix of type II collagen and proteoglycans, maintained by a sparse population of cells called chondrocytes. Chondrocytes cannot divide rapidly enough to replace degraded matrix, and articular cartilage contains no blood vessels, lymphatics, or nerve supply, making nutrient delivery, waste removal, and cellular recruitment all dependent on diffusion through synovial fluid.

Research by Selig and colleagues, published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences in 2020, documented mechanotransduction and stiffness-sensing in chondrocytes that govern chondrocyte phenotype, explaining why articular cartilage responds poorly to injury compared with vascularized connective tissues. A 2012 review by Studer and colleagues in European Cells and Materials reviewed molecular mechanisms of hypertrophic differentiation in chondrocytes, the process by which chondrocytes shift toward a degradation-promoting phenotype under mechanical stress and inflammatory signaling.

Osteoarthritis results from the progressive breakdown of this cartilage matrix, compounded by subchondral bone remodeling and chronic synovial inflammation. The inflammatory mediators most implicated, including IL-1β, TNF-alpha, and matrix metalloproteinases, accelerate matrix degradation while suppressing chondrocyte synthetic activity. Oxidative stress adds a secondary layer: reactive oxygen species generated by inflamed joint tissue contribute to chondrocyte apoptosis and further matrix breakdown. These converging mechanisms are what make osteoarthritis both biologically complex and clinically resistant to disease modification. They also define the mechanistic targets that peptide research has begun to address.

Peptides Studied for Cartilage and Osteoarthritis: A Quick Comparison

The following peptides have published evidence relevant to cartilage biology and osteoarthritis-related mechanisms. They are listed by strength of clinical evidence, from most-studied to least.

• Compound: BPC-157
  Mechanism for cartilage/OA: Pro-angiogenic activity may improve nutrient delivery to avascular cartilage in preclinical models; anti-inflammatory and connective tissue repair activity documented in joint-adjacent structures
  Evidence: Animal studies and one case series (Lee et al., 2021); no completed human RCT for cartilage
  FDA status: Not FDA-approved for any indication; removed from FDA Category 2 list on April 22, 2026; outside any FDA-permissible compounding category
  SP availability: Not currently available through Superpower
  Route: Research use only; no legal human administration pathway under current US regulatory status
• Compound: GHK-Cu
  Mechanism for cartilage/OA: Stimulates collagen synthesis and tissue remodeling; shifts gene expression toward anti-inflammatory profiles in preclinical models; reduces oxidative stress in joint tissue
  Evidence: In vitro and animal studies only; no human RCT for cartilage applications
  FDA status: Not FDA-approved for any indication; widely sold as a cosmetic ingredient in topical products; does not appear on FDA's Category 1 list of bulk drug substances for 503A compounding and lacks a USP monograph. Compounded injectable GHK-Cu preparations from US pharmacies do not have a clearly established 503A basis and may face FDA enforcement risk.
  SP availability: Not currently available through Superpower for this use
  Route: Topical cosmetic use; injectable preparations are research contexts only
• Compound: Thymosin beta-4 (TB-500)
  Mechanism for cartilage/OA: Anti-inflammatory and angiogenic activity; actin-sequestering properties may reduce inflammatory signaling in synovial tissue
  Evidence: Animal studies; limited human data; no RCT for cartilage
  FDA status: Not FDA-approved for any indication; removed from FDA Category 2 list on April 22, 2026; outside any FDA-permissible compounding category
  SP availability: Not currently available through Superpower
  Route: Research use only; no legal human administration pathway under current US regulatory status
• Compound: Ipamorelin / CJC-1295 (GH secretagogues)
  Mechanism for cartilage/OA: Stimulate pituitary GH release, increasing IGF-1; IGF-1 supports subchondral bone density and chondrocyte anabolic activity
  Evidence: Epidemiological data (Yuan et al., 2021, Mendelian randomization for IGF-1 and bone density); no RCT for cartilage specifically
  FDA status: Not FDA-approved for cartilage, OA, or any indication. Both substances are on FDA's Category 2 bulks list under active review; 503A compounding availability varies by state pharmacy board, pharmacy-specific practices, and ongoing FDA enforcement posture, and may change. Not FDA-approved for cartilage or OA.
  SP availability: Not offered by Superpower for cartilage or osteoarthritis indications. These compounds are available by prescription through US compounding pharmacies generally; Superpower's provider network prescribes them only for non-cartilage indications at provider discretion when clinically appropriate based on the individual patient's circumstances.
  Route: Subcutaneous injection

BPC-157 and TB-500 are not legal to prescribe, compound, or sell for human use in the US under current FDA regulatory posture; both were removed from the Category 2 list of bulk drug substances on April 22, 2026 and are outside any FDA-permissible compounding category. Their inclusion here is for educational context only.

Peptides Studied for Cartilage and Osteoarthritis: Individual Profiles

Each compound profiled below has a different mechanism, a different evidence base, and a different regulatory status. Each requires its own evaluation before any clinical discussion with a provider.

BPC-157

BPC-157 is a synthetic 15-amino-acid pentadecapeptide derived from a gastric protein sequence. It is not FDA-approved for any indication. In the orthopaedic context, BPC-157's proposed mechanism centers on two activities: pro-angiogenic signaling via VEGF pathway modulation, and connective tissue repair across tendon, ligament, and bone-adjacent structures. A 2018 review by Seiwerth and colleagues in Current Pharmaceutical Design reviewed BPC-157's interactions with angiogenic growth factors across musculoskeletal healing contexts, documenting consistent preclinical evidence for enhanced tissue vascularization.

For cartilage specifically, the pro-angiogenic activity is mechanistically relevant: articular cartilage's lack of vascular supply is one of its fundamental limitations, and enhanced vascular ingrowth at the cartilage-bone interface has been proposed as a mechanism that could support subchondral bone health and indirect nutrient delivery to chondrocytes in preclinical models; no human data establish this effect. A 2019 review by Gwyer and colleagues in Cell and Tissue Research reviewed BPC-157 in musculoskeletal soft tissue healing contexts, including structures directly adjacent to articular joints. A 2021 case series by Lee and colleagues in Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine described clinical observations in patients who received BPC-157; as a case series without a control arm, randomization, or blinding, this report is the lowest tier of human evidence and does not support any efficacy conclusion.

A 2025 systematic review by Vasireddi and colleagues in the HSS Journal reviewed BPC-157 across orthopaedic sports medicine applications and concluded that while preclinical data are consistent, human RCT data for cartilage specifically are absent. A 2025 narrative review by McGuire and colleagues in Current Reviews in Musculoskeletal Medicine similarly examined the evidence and risk profile, concluding that the evidence is promising but insufficient for clinical recommendation. A 2026 review by Yuan and colleagues in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences further reviewed BPC-157 in tissue repair and analgesia contexts, describing preclinical mechanisms relevant to both structural and pain-related research endpoints while emphasizing the preclinical limitations. [Animal study / Case reports only; no completed human RCT]

As of April 22, 2026, FDA removed BPC-157 from the Category 2 list of bulk drug substances under 503A/503B consideration. Removal is not equivalent to Category 1 approval; it places BPC-157 outside any FDA-permissible compounding category. BPC-157 is not eligible for 503A compounding and is not legally available through US licensed prescribers. PCAC review remains pending separately. This compound has not been approved by the FDA for any medical use and is not available through Superpower or any licensed prescriber for this indication.

GHK-Cu

GHK-Cu is a naturally occurring tripeptide (glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine) complexed with copper, found in human plasma, saliva, and urine. It is not FDA-approved for any indication. In the context of cartilage and joint maintenance, GHK-Cu's proposed mechanisms involve three overlapping activities relevant to articular cartilage biology. First, it stimulates collagen synthesis and activates tissue-remodeling enzymes, activity documented by Pickart in a foundational 2008 paper in the Journal of Biomaterials Science, Polymer Edition, describing GHK-Cu's tissue remodeling and collagen synthesis activity, including stimulation of bone morphogenic proteins. Second, Pickart and colleagues, writing in BioMed Research International in 2014, described GHK-Cu's effects on gene expression profiles in aged tissue, reporting shifts toward anti-inflammatory patterns in the preclinical model. Third, GHK-Cu may reduce oxidative stress: Ma and colleagues, in Life Sciences in 2020, reported GHK-Cu's anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activity in a bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis model, with mechanisms potentially applicable to the oxidative environment of inflamed joint tissue. Mao and colleagues, in Frontiers in Pharmacology in 2025, documented GHK-Cu's anti-inflammatory activity in a colitis model — mechanistic evidence whose translation to joint tissue remains untested.

The melanocortin receptor system also intersects with chondroprotection: Can and colleagues, in the European Journal of Pharmacology in 2020, demonstrated anti-inflammatory and chondroprotective effects of melanocortin receptor agonists (a compound class related to the alpha-MSH/KPV peptide family) on activated chondrocytes, providing preclinical context for melanocortin-pathway peptides being studied in chondroprotection research; this finding does not extend directly to the compounds profiled in this article. [In vitro / Animal study; no completed human RCT for cartilage]

GHK-Cu is not FDA-approved for any indication. It is widely sold as a cosmetic ingredient in topical products (no prescription required for cosmetic use). GHK-Cu does not appear on FDA's Category 1 list of bulk drug substances for 503A compounding and lacks a USP monograph as a pharmaceutical API. Compounded injectable GHK-Cu preparations from US pharmacies do not have a clearly established 503A basis and may face FDA enforcement risk. GHK-Cu is not prescribed, compounded, or dispensed through Superpower.

Thymosin beta-4 (TB-500)

Thymosin beta-4 is a 43-amino-acid peptide involved in actin sequestration, cellular migration, and vascular development. The synthetic research version distributed as TB-500 is not FDA-approved for any indication. In the osteoarthritic joint context, TB-500's proposed relevance rests on two activities: anti-inflammatory signaling relevant to synovial inflammation, and angiogenic support relevant to the subchondral bone interface. A 2018 review by Dubé and colleagues in Expert Opinion on Biological Therapy reviewed thymosin beta-4's vascular and tissue repair roles, documenting its pro-angiogenic and anti-inflammatory activity across tissue types. These mechanisms are applicable to the joint microenvironment, where chronic synovial inflammation and poor vascularization of adjacent structures are compounding factors in osteoarthritis progression. [Animal study; no completed human RCT]

TB-500 is not FDA-approved for any indication. TB-500 was previously on FDA's Category 2 list of bulk drug substances under 503A/503B consideration; on April 22, 2026, FDA removed TB-500 from that list. Removal is not Category 1 approval; it places TB-500 outside any FDA-permissible compounding category. TB-500 is not eligible for 503A compounding and is not legally available through US licensed prescribers. Products sold online as "TB-500" for human use operate outside FDA oversight. Research is limited to laboratory and animal studies. Not available through Superpower or any licensed prescriber for this indication. Inclusion here is for educational context only.

GH secretagogues (ipamorelin, CJC-1295)

Growth hormone-releasing peptides and analogs, including ipamorelin (a GHRP) and CJC-1295 (a GHRH analog), stimulate the pituitary gland to secrete endogenous growth hormone, which in turn drives hepatic and peripheral IGF-1 production. The relevance to osteoarthritis runs through subchondral bone: articular cartilage is in direct contact with subchondral bone, which provides mechanical support and participates in nutrient exchange. Subchondral bone integrity is therefore a secondary but clinically relevant target in osteoarthritis management.

A Mendelian randomization study by Yuan and colleagues, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism in 2021, established a causal association between IGF-1 levels, bone mineral density, and fracture risk, providing population-level evidence that the GH/IGF-1 axis is a genuine determinant of bone health. A 2022 review by Tresguerres and colleagues in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences reviewed GH effects on musculoskeletal tissue in aging adults, documenting IGF-1-mediated support for bone and joint tissue maintenance. Whether these effects translate into meaningful clinical benefit for osteoarthritis has not been tested in a human RCT. [Epidemiological / Animal study; no completed RCT for OA]

Ipamorelin and CJC-1295 are not FDA-approved for any indication. Both substances are on FDA's Category 2 bulks list under active review, and 503A compounding availability varies by state pharmacy board, pharmacy-specific practices, and ongoing FDA enforcement posture. There is no FDA-approved indication for cartilage repair or osteoarthritis, and no adequate and well-controlled human trial supports their use for these indications. Superpower's provider network does not prescribe these compounds for cartilage or osteoarthritis. Safety and efficacy for cartilage or osteoarthritis applications have not been established through adequate and well-controlled clinical trials.

Regulatory Status at a Glance

As of April 2026, the peptides discussed in this article carry different regulatory statuses. These distinctions matter when discussing any of them with a healthcare provider.

• BPC-157: Not FDA-approved for any indication; removed from FDA Category 2 list on April 22, 2026; outside any FDA-permissible compounding category; not eligible for 503A compounding and not legally available through US prescribers. PCAC review remains pending separately.
• GHK-Cu: Not FDA-approved for any indication; widely sold as a cosmetic ingredient in topical products; does not appear on FDA's Category 1 list of bulk drug substances for 503A compounding and lacks a USP monograph. Compounded injectable GHK-Cu preparations do not have a clearly established 503A basis and may face FDA enforcement risk; not approved for human use for cartilage or OA.
• TB-500 (thymosin beta-4): Not FDA-approved for any indication; previously on FDA's Category 2 list; removed from that list on April 22, 2026; outside any FDA-permissible compounding category; not eligible for 503A compounding and not legally available through US prescribers.
• Ipamorelin / CJC-1295: Not FDA-approved for any indication. Both are on FDA's Category 2 bulks list under active review; 503A compounding availability varies by state pharmacy board, pharmacy-specific practices, and ongoing FDA enforcement posture. Not offered by Superpower for cartilage or osteoarthritis.

BPC-157 and TB-500 are not legal to prescribe, compound, or sell for human use in the US under current FDA regulatory posture. Their presence in this article is for educational context only.

Considerations When Comparing Peptides for Cartilage and Osteoarthritis

Selecting among these compounds, if any, is a clinical decision made by a licensed provider, not a consumer choice. Direct comparison between them is not straightforward: they have been studied in different animal models, at different doses, and using different outcome measures. Inferring relative effectiveness from separate preclinical studies is methodologically unreliable. Several factors are relevant to how a provider might approach this discussion.

Your specific OA pattern: Osteoarthritis affecting primarily the cartilage matrix has different mechanistic targets than OA with dominant subchondral bone involvement or inflammatory synovitis. BPC-157's connective tissue repair activity has been studied primarily in the context of the former in preclinical models; GH secretagogues' IGF-1-mediated bone density effects have been studied in the context of the latter. None of these mechanism-based distinctions has been tested for clinical relevance in OA human trials.

Existing inflammatory biomarker profile: Elevated hs-CRP or elevated ESR at baseline indicates higher systemic inflammatory burden, a context in which anti-inflammatory mechanisms are of theoretical interest for further research; no clinical trial has evaluated GHK-Cu or BPC-157 for patient selection based on inflammatory biomarkers. A provider will evaluate whether reducing inflammatory load is a primary objective before considering any adjunct compound.

Evidence level comfort: No compound in this list has Phase 3 human RCT data for cartilage applications. A provider will weigh how much clinical evidence supports proceeding before recommending any investigational compound.

Regulatory status: BPC-157 and TB-500 are not legally available through licensed prescribers for this use. Their unavailability is not a minor procedural issue; it is the current regulatory reality. A provider cannot legally prescribe them for this indication.

Positioning relative to standard care: Intra-articular hyaluronic acid, corticosteroids, and physical therapy have established human trial evidence for osteoarthritis. A 2024 review by Chang and colleagues in the International Journal of Biological Macromolecules reviewed hyaluronic acid's bioengineering applications in tissue regeneration including cartilage, illustrating the established evidence base for standard biologics. Any peptide adjunct would be considered alongside, not instead of, these approaches.

This is not an exhaustive list of clinical considerations. A licensed provider will evaluate your full health history, imaging findings, current medications, and baseline lab results before recommending any compound.

Safety Considerations

Safety profiles vary substantially across the compounds discussed here. Ipamorelin and CJC-1295 have early human pharmacology safety data from historical drug development programs (with IGF-1 as the established monitoring parameter); no adequate and well-controlled long-term human safety trials have been completed for either compound in any indication. BPC-157 and TB-500 have preclinical safety data only; no long-term human safety data exist for either compound in any indication. A 2026 review by Mendias and colleagues in Sports Medicine critically reviewed safety and efficacy of unapproved peptide therapies, concluding that rigorous human safety data are scarce and that potential for serious harm exists. GHK-Cu's topical safety profile is better characterized than its injectable safety profile.

Contraindications that apply broadly to peptide therapy for cartilage and OA include:

• Active or history of hormone-sensitive malignancy: GH secretagogues stimulate IGF-1, which has proliferative activity; BPC-157 and GHK-Cu have theoretical proliferative concerns not yet fully characterized in humans
• Pregnancy: no reproductive safety data exist for any compound in this list
• Active infection or septic arthritis: immunomodulatory or angiogenic peptides are not appropriate in the setting of active joint infection
• Concurrent use of immunosuppressants or disease-modifying drugs: interaction data are absent for all compounds in this list

For compound-specific safety profiles, consult a licensed healthcare provider and review the ISI block at the bottom of this page.

What to Test Before Starting Peptides for Cartilage Health

Regardless of which compound you and your provider discuss, baseline biomarker testing establishes a measurable starting point. Without it, there is no objective way to assess whether a compound is producing the expected physiological changes, or whether those changes are beneficial. For cartilage and osteoarthritis contexts, the relevant baseline markers are those that reflect inflammatory burden, bone and joint turnover, metabolic safety, and the GH/IGF-1 axis when secretagogues are relevant.

• hs-CRP: High-sensitivity C-reactive protein reflects systemic inflammatory burden. A baseline hs-CRP measurement establishes the inflammatory context before any intervention and provides a reference point for assessing whether a compound is modulating inflammation over time.
• IGF-1: The primary downstream marker of GH axis activity. Testing IGF-1 levels before starting any GH secretagogue establishes whether the axis is functioning normally and provides a monitoring reference. IGF-1 is also relevant to subchondral bone health, which underlies cartilage.
• Vitamin D (25-hydroxy): Vitamin D is associated with musculoskeletal tissue maintenance and is frequently low in patients with osteoarthritis. A 25-hydroxy vitamin D measurement establishes whether a deficiency is contributing to the clinical picture before any additional intervention is considered.
• Alkaline phosphatase (ALP): ALP reflects bone and joint tissue turnover. Monitoring alkaline phosphatase alongside subchondral bone-targeting interventions provides context about bone metabolic activity at baseline and over time.
• Comprehensive metabolic panel: Liver enzymes (ALT, AST), kidney function (creatinine, eGFR), and electrolytes establish the safety baseline for any injectable peptide protocol. Impaired renal or hepatic function alters peptide metabolism and increases adverse event risk.
• CBC (complete blood count): Baseline CBC is standard pre-treatment assessment for injectable compounds. It provides context for immune and inflammatory status relevant to joint health.

Testing for joint and bone health biomarkers before any intervention gives your provider the objective data needed to assess where your musculoskeletal biology currently stands, and to track whether anything changes.

Regulatory Access and Prescription Requirements

Ipamorelin and CJC-1295 require a prescription from a licensed provider. Both are on FDA's Category 2 bulks list under active review, and 503A compounding availability varies by state pharmacy board, pharmacy-specific practices, and ongoing FDA enforcement posture. Where available, access typically involves a clinical evaluation by a licensed provider including lab work, health history, and symptom assessment, followed by dispensing from a 503A compounding pharmacy. Cartilage and osteoarthritis are not indications for which Superpower or its provider network prescribes these compounds. A 2026 primer by Mayfield and colleagues in the American Journal of Sports Medicine outlined sports medicine peptide protocols, emphasizing provider evaluation as the appropriate starting point.

BPC-157 and TB-500 are not legally available through licensed prescribers in the US; both were removed from the FDA Category 2 list on April 22, 2026 and are outside any FDA-permissible compounding category. Products sold online as BPC-157 or TB-500 operate outside FDA oversight and lack pharmaceutical-grade manufacturing standards. These compounds are not prescribed, compounded, or dispensed through Superpower. A 2026 review by Rahman and colleagues in JAAOS Global Research and Reviews reviewed therapeutic peptides in orthopaedics, noting that regulatory barriers and the absence of clinical trials are the primary obstacles to any peptide's entry into standard orthopaedic practice.

Self-directed use of injectable peptides without a provider creates risk from dosing uncertainty, contamination in unregulated sources, and inability to establish or monitor baseline biomarker changes. A 2026 review by Lara-Bertrand and colleagues in the Journal of Functional Biomaterials reviewed articular cartilage repair technologies including biologic approaches, situating peptides within a broader landscape that remains largely investigational. The delivery challenges that limit peptide intra-articular application are also an active research area, as reviewed by Morici and colleagues in Expert Opinion on Drug Delivery in 2025 reviewed nanocrystal drug delivery for arthritis.

Understanding Your Baseline

With multiple compounds available, each targeting different mechanisms and carrying different evidence levels, baseline biomarker data transforms a conversation with your provider from a speculative discussion into one grounded in your actual biology. For cartilage and osteoarthritis contexts, knowing your inflammatory burden, IGF-1 status, vitamin D levels, and metabolic baseline means the clinical evaluation can focus on what your labs actually show rather than what symptoms alone suggest.

That principle, test first, then decide, is central to Superpower's approach to preventive health. Whether the conversation with your provider leads to a standard-of-care intervention, an investigational compound, or a lifestyle-first approach, the starting point is the same: knowing where your biomarkers stand.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

BPC-157 is not approved by the FDA for any medical use. As of April 22, 2026, FDA removed BPC-157 from the Category 2 list of bulk drug substances under 503A/503B consideration. Removal is not equivalent to Category 1 approval; BPC-157 is outside any FDA-permissible compounding category, is not eligible for 503A compounding, and is not legally available through US licensed prescribers. PCAC review remains pending separately. Research on BPC-157 has been limited primarily to laboratory and animal studies, with limited human case-series data. Its safety, efficacy, appropriate dosing, and long-term effects in humans for any indication, including cartilage repair or osteoarthritis, have not been established through adequate and well-controlled clinical trials. BPC-157 is not prescribed, compounded, or dispensed through Superpower. Products sold online as BPC-157 operate outside FDA oversight; FDA has warned of contaminated and counterfeit "research peptide" products. This page is provided for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice or an endorsement of use.

GHK-Cu is not FDA-approved for any indication. It is widely sold as a cosmetic ingredient in topical products; it does not appear on FDA's Category 1 list of bulk drug substances for 503A compounding and lacks a USP monograph. Compounded injectable GHK-Cu preparations from US pharmacies do not have a clearly established 503A basis and may face FDA enforcement risk. Safety, efficacy, and long-term effects of GHK-Cu for cartilage or osteoarthritis applications have not been established in human clinical trials. GHK-Cu is not prescribed, compounded, or dispensed through Superpower.

TB-500 (thymosin beta-4) is not approved by the FDA for any medical use. TB-500 was previously on FDA's Category 2 list of bulk drug substances under 503A/503B consideration; on April 22, 2026, FDA removed TB-500 from that list. Removal is not Category 1 approval; it places TB-500 outside any FDA-permissible compounding category. TB-500 is not eligible for 503A compounding and is not legally available through US licensed prescribers. Research is limited to laboratory and animal studies. Its safety, efficacy, appropriate dosing, and long-term effects in humans have not been established. TB-500 is not prescribed, compounded, or dispensed through Superpower. Products sold online as TB-500 operate outside FDA oversight. This page is provided for educational purposes only.

Ipamorelin and CJC-1295 are not FDA-approved for any indication, including cartilage repair or osteoarthritis. Both substances are on FDA's Category 2 bulks list under active review; 503A compounding availability varies by state pharmacy board, pharmacy-specific practices, and ongoing FDA enforcement posture. These compounds are not offered or marketed by Superpower for cartilage or osteoarthritis. Where they are prescribed through Superpower's licensed provider network for other indications, that prescribing is at the treating provider's discretion based on the specific patient's clinical circumstances. Safety and efficacy for cartilage or osteoarthritis applications have not been established through adequate and well-controlled clinical trials. Compounded preparations are not FDA-approved drug products.

This article is provided for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult a licensed healthcare provider before starting any peptide therapy. Full FDA-approved prescribing information for any approved compound at dailymed.nlm.nih.gov.

Disclaimer: This article discusses multiple peptide compounds with different regulatory statuses. As of April 22, 2026, BPC-157 and TB-500 have both been removed from the FDA Category 2 list and are outside any FDA-permissible compounding category; GHK-Cu is sold as a cosmetic ingredient and lacks a clearly established 503A basis for injectable compounding; GH secretagogues are compounded under 503A for provider-determined indications. None are FDA-approved for cartilage repair or osteoarthritis. This educational content is editorially independent.